Midday Newscast, September 27, 2007

Vermonters with low and moderate incomes are getting some additional assistance to heat their homes this winter; a former Iranian ambassador to the United Nations says the people of Iran have been insulted by the reception their president has received in the United States. Maine’s state Public Utilities Commission is considering the sale of Verizon’s assets in northern New England to FairPoint Communications; Vermont’s Human Services Agency says a federal report about handling child welfare cases was made public to interested parties.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejadâ€™s appearances in New York this week have drawn a range of reactions: from anger to bemusement to puzzlement. For some insight into the political context and the motivations of the Iranian president, VPRâ€™s Steve Zind talked with Mansour Farhang.